Gardening Cold Frame
For less demanding shrubs the standard John Innes Seed Compost, made up of 2 parts loam, 1 part peat, and 1 sand will do very well. The loam is sterilised by heating it to about 82C. or 180F. to kill pests, weeds and diseases.
Ideally they should be 2 to 3 in. long, thin and short jointed. As with all cuttings remove the leaves from that part of the stem which is to go below soil level. These should be cut with a sharp razor blade and not pulled away as this damages the stem too much. It is important not to leave too many leaves on a cutting as these will increase the rate at which water is lost through transpiration which the cutting may be unable to makeup, causing it to wither and die. At the same time the base can be trimmed back to immediately below the leaf joint making a nodal cutting. The Majority of cuttings root most readily from this point, but there are exceptions which should be trimmed between the leaf joints to make internodal cuttings. As would be expected, the time of availability for softwood cuttings is rate spring or early summer, i.e. May and early June.
For shading the cuttings during the first few critical weeks I use laths on nylon string, spaced 1 in. apart by pieces of polythene hosepipe. This frame is used mainly for soft, or semi-hardwood cuttings which need shading for the first fortnight. After this they can be fully exposed provided they are watered carefully. In hot weather this may ,be necessary three or four times a day.
When seedlings have outgrown this second container they are normally big enough to go out into the open propagated true to type by means of vegetative propagation and cuttings or layers are the methods most frequently used. The cuttings of some species and varieties root with alacrity, for example the willow and forsythia, others need attention and persuasion.
Stem cuttings, in general, may be loosely grouped under three headings, softwood, semi- hardwood, and hardwood. No matter at what stage the cuttings are taken always dip them in a hormone rooting powder before insertion as this facilitates rooting considerably. Use a sharp knife so that the cut is clean which will help the base of the cutting to callous over quicker than a ragged tear. In fact, the best tool is a razor blade in a holder.
As each bundle of cuttinas is prepared, I take out a trench 4 to 6 in. deep,.put a layer of sharp sand in the bottom, push the base of the cuttings well into this so there is no air space to inhibit rooting, then firm the soil back round the stems to the normal level. Over the years the soil has become very sandy and crisp and it improves season by season.
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